Tonight I spoke to a Girl Scout troop at Wild Rumpus. It was a lot of fun. The girls asked intelligent questions and were enthusiastic about my book. One of them, Joia, told me she'd already read it twice! A couple of them have started writing their own stories, and since I started at an even younger age I tried to offer them encouraging advice while still being realistic. It can take a long time to see the dream of becoming a published author come true. It's still worth it, though.

Having the book talk go well made up for the rejection letter that arrived today for Homefinding. The editor said she enjoyed the book and liked the historical setting, I was a talented writer and had created a compelling main character, but she had trouble with pacing and elements of the fantastical world. Le sigh. It's a positive rejection, if such a thing is possible. And I knew pacing was a problem but had hoped I'd fixed it.

I post this just so that readers of my blog will know that the common misconception that once you've sold one novel selling the rest will be easy is just that - a misconception.

Took some time today to reply to fan emails, always fun though I don't think I'm that good at responding to compliments or knowing what to say. It's hard to blush in email :) I also wrote four pages in SofanO, so I'm up to 112 pages. Oh, and I wanted to start posting book reports of books I've read and enjoyed recently, since my taste is likely to be similar to those of everyone who reads this blog, so starting next week I'll be posting reviews. Only positive ones, though, the books I hate just get tossed across the room. Books do not bounce off walls well, in case anyone was wondering. They just kind of thud.

Anyway, off to play with the cat -

D